Russia has become the world's biggest buyer of gold. Following a policy set by long-time leader Vladimir Putin, Russia's Central Bank added 570 metric tons of gold, about 25 percent more than second-ranked gold bug China acquired over the same period.

From the partridge in a pear tree to the twelve drummers drumming, to get all 364 items repeated in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" carol this year, you'll pay $107,300 -- 6.1 percent more than in 2011, reveals the annual Christmas Price Index from PNC Wealth Management.

Most commodities rallied in the third quarter, but can they hold on to their advance? Read on, and find out which ones still have legs to dance their way higher, and which are poised to take a tumble.
The short answer to that from analysts is that gold and oil are likely to advance, while grains and sugar are among those that probably won't, but there will be a lot of different factors to consider.

The Atlantic Ocean is wide, but maybe not wide enough. On Thursday, markets had a mixed reaction to the deepening economic crisis in Europe. Some sources reported that the European Central Bank would step in. But in the U.S., small business owners are growing nervous.

More people have been selling their gold jewelry in the past year, many to cover expenses, others to just to take advantage of record high prices. Prices have dipped a bit from their recent highs, but expect more people to sell in the months ahead, and expect the prices to rise again.

Nearly 7/8 of gold demand these days goes to jewelry and investors, but the precious metal is good for more than looking pretty and providing a hard asset: Industrial and technological uses for gold are growing. Whether it's in hospitals, cars or computers, here's what gold is really good for.

The precious yellow metal soared again Wednesday, rising above $1,800 an ounce for the first time as investors fled stocks for safer assets. The Dow closed down more than 500 points, erasing Tuesday's gains.

This may have been a holiday-shortened trading week, but there were plenty of financial nuggets that kept stocks moving. Let's go over some of the news from Netflix, Verizon, Immucor and more that shaped this abridged week in the markets.

Over the past year, the prices of many commodities have risen at record paces to record highs. But recently, those prices have begun to plunge, and consumers should begin to see the effects of those declines fairly soon, in the form of less-expensive groceries and clothing.

Stocks closed slightly lower Monday despite the death of Osama bin Laden, several strong earnings reports and a major drug industry acquisition.
The Dow fell 3.18 points to close at 12,807.36. Earlier in the day, it had been up as much as 65 points.

With gold prices recently hitting the $1,500 mark, consumers and businesses are looking for an opportunity to score. "We see everything from rings, teeth, jewelry, pins and lighters," one gold buyer said. "Everyone has a little gold somewhere." Should you join in? Check out these five tips.

Gold has had a magnificent run during the past 10 years, doubling in value since 2008 alone, and gold mania is seemingly still at full strength. But is profit taking the next move? What if you are among the majority of investors who have yet to dip a toe into the water? Is it safe to dive in?

After a decade-long bull run in the price of gold, the bears are beginning to come out of hibernation. While investors have piled into the precious metal in recent years, one expert predicts that gold prices could "suffer major blows starting possibly this summer."

After a rough opening session on Monday, stocks rallied sharply on Tuesday. The Dow enjoyed a triple-digit gain after oil prices eased and bank shares bounced higher on the possibility of further dividend payouts and share buybacks.

Increasing violence in Libya caused oil prices to rise and stocks to fall 80 points to close at 12,090 on Monday. It didn't help that a Wells Fargo analyst also downgraded the semiconductor industry, sending shares of Intel down by 1.6%.

Can you profit from the turmoil in the Middle East? Oil is now flirting around $100 a barrel and gold is continuing its upward trend. For investors, this could present an opportunity in oil and gold stocks. Here is the bull and bear take on three stocks that could rise on Mideast unrest.

The first trading day of the month is usually good to equities, but after a two-day respite, stocks went back back to suffering broad-based declines. The sharp rise in oil prices overshadowed some encouraging corporate and economic news.